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Stop Experimenting, Start Operating: The AI Shift That Actually Works
📅 January 27 — Live on LinkedIn
Join Kim and Hal live on LinkedIn at 2:00 PM EST as they’re joined by Rob Belfield and Jon Stevens to discuss why most businesses struggle to move from advice to implementation—and what an operating model built for this moment really looks like.
👉 Link to the live event:https://www.linkedin.com/events/thegreatdisplacement-asaferpath7419916211754524673/theater/
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This is for you if you are:
- A displaced Big 4 / consulting professional
- A fractional COO, CFO, or senior operator
- A small business owner who needs real implementation help—not more decksÂ
For the re-play just say:
“Tell me more about the BMS Licensee Model.”
✦ DM Kim Lewis Howard on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-lewis-howard/
✦ DM Hal Howard on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/halhoward/
---
 Why do most AI projects stall—even after promisingdemos and pilots?
In this episode of Small Business Big AI, hosts Kim Lewis Howard and Hal Howard unpack the real reason most businesses fail to get value from AI—and why the problem isn’t the technology.
Drawing on recent research from MIT, real operator conversations, and Kim’s lived experience building a new agency under real constraints, this episode exposes the critical gap between experimenting with AI and operating with it.
If you’ve tried AI tools, felt optimistic, and then watched them quietly fade into the background, this episode will help you understand why—and what to do differently.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why 95% of AI pilots fail to scale into measurable business value—and what that statistic actually means
- The difference between using AI and having AI run part of your business
- Why experimenting with AI feels productive but rarely creates leverage
- How small businesses get left out of enterprise-led AI narratives (and why that matters)
- The three shifts businesses make when they successfully move from AI pilots to operations
- How to evaluate AI success using operational metrics, not adoption metrics
- A simple 15-minute exercise to identify why your AI tools aren’t sticking
The Core Insight
Most AI projects don’t fail because the tools are bad.
They fail because no one builds the bridge from “this is interesting” to “this is how we operate now.”
AI becomes valuable only when it is embedded into workflows, measured by outcomes, and trusted to run without constant human intervention.
The 3 Shifts Businesses that Win with AI Make
1.   Workflow before tool - They define what the process needs to become before choosing technology.
2.  Bridge, not just pilot - Pilots prove possibility. Operations prove reliability—without babysitting.
3.  Measure operation, not adoption - The right question isn’t “Do we use AI?” It’s “What percentage of this process does AI handle end-to-end?”
 About the Show
Small Business Big AI is a strategist-led podcast for operators who want to make better business decisions in an AI-shaped world.
No hype. No tool worship. Just clear thinking about how real businesses actually run.
---
Music Credit: “I Am with You” by Dream Cave; EpidemicSound via iStock.com
Sound Effects: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/
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By Kim Lewis Howard📅 January 27 — Live on LinkedIn
Join Kim and Hal live on LinkedIn at 2:00 PM EST as they’re joined by Rob Belfield and Jon Stevens to discuss why most businesses struggle to move from advice to implementation—and what an operating model built for this moment really looks like.
👉 Link to the live event:https://www.linkedin.com/events/thegreatdisplacement-asaferpath7419916211754524673/theater/
Â
This is for you if you are:
- A displaced Big 4 / consulting professional
- A fractional COO, CFO, or senior operator
- A small business owner who needs real implementation help—not more decksÂ
For the re-play just say:
“Tell me more about the BMS Licensee Model.”
✦ DM Kim Lewis Howard on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-lewis-howard/
✦ DM Hal Howard on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/halhoward/
---
 Why do most AI projects stall—even after promisingdemos and pilots?
In this episode of Small Business Big AI, hosts Kim Lewis Howard and Hal Howard unpack the real reason most businesses fail to get value from AI—and why the problem isn’t the technology.
Drawing on recent research from MIT, real operator conversations, and Kim’s lived experience building a new agency under real constraints, this episode exposes the critical gap between experimenting with AI and operating with it.
If you’ve tried AI tools, felt optimistic, and then watched them quietly fade into the background, this episode will help you understand why—and what to do differently.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
- Why 95% of AI pilots fail to scale into measurable business value—and what that statistic actually means
- The difference between using AI and having AI run part of your business
- Why experimenting with AI feels productive but rarely creates leverage
- How small businesses get left out of enterprise-led AI narratives (and why that matters)
- The three shifts businesses make when they successfully move from AI pilots to operations
- How to evaluate AI success using operational metrics, not adoption metrics
- A simple 15-minute exercise to identify why your AI tools aren’t sticking
The Core Insight
Most AI projects don’t fail because the tools are bad.
They fail because no one builds the bridge from “this is interesting” to “this is how we operate now.”
AI becomes valuable only when it is embedded into workflows, measured by outcomes, and trusted to run without constant human intervention.
The 3 Shifts Businesses that Win with AI Make
1.   Workflow before tool - They define what the process needs to become before choosing technology.
2.  Bridge, not just pilot - Pilots prove possibility. Operations prove reliability—without babysitting.
3.  Measure operation, not adoption - The right question isn’t “Do we use AI?” It’s “What percentage of this process does AI handle end-to-end?”
 About the Show
Small Business Big AI is a strategist-led podcast for operators who want to make better business decisions in an AI-shaped world.
No hype. No tool worship. Just clear thinking about how real businesses actually run.
---
Music Credit: “I Am with You” by Dream Cave; EpidemicSound via iStock.com
Sound Effects: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/
Â